Controlling mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



w. W. BROWN.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLIOATIQN FILED D30. 9, 1912. 1 1,132,301, Patented Mar.16,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lnvehtor-z WalterWBrown,

His fitter-neg w. w. BROWN. CONTROLLING :MEGHANISM FOB INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES,

gPPLIOATIOH FILED D110. 9, 1912. V 1 1 32,301, Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

4 SHBET8SHEET 2- Fig.2.

Ilia;

-v Inventor: Wa|t er-W.Br-own,

His a ttorn q.

W. W. BROWN.

CONTROLLING MEGHANISM FOB. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1030.9, 1912.

- Patented Mar.16,1915f 4 SHEETSr-SHEET 3- Fig.6."

Witnesses: Inventor-z -Wa|Ler"W.Br-own His .DqttOFTIGBy W. w. BROWN. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 9, 1912.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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WALTER W. BROWN, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed December 8, 1912.

c: iprcssion type wherein fuel in a finely divided or atomized state is injected by a blast of air or other means into a highly coin pressed body of air in the cylinder. the temperature of which is suliiciently high to ignite the fuel.

The application of such engines for various purposes. notably for driving electric generators which in turn supply current to makes it necessary to provide a starting means such as elastic fluid for example and also to provide means for controlling the am unt of fuel supplied to the engine to meet the requirements as to load, speed. change in rade etc.

The present invention has for its object to provide a controlling mechanisin of improved construction for engines and in particular to engines of the character described.

in carr -iing out my invention I so comor organize the mechanism that the and fuel regulating means are unier the Cuntiol of a single lever or handle. i-zarther said means and the control lever are so arranged that the operator cannot make a mistake in the desired sequence of operati n of said means.

For a consideration of what I helieve to he novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanyingdescription and claims appended thereto.

In the accmnpanying drawings I have illustrated one of the embodiments of mv invention in which V Figure 1 is a view in end elevation and partial section of an engine'fitted with my improved contro ling mechanism; Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the eccentrics for driving the cam and pump shafts; Fig. 3 is a detail view-f the controlling handle and its connection to the control shaft; Figs. 4 and a are sectional detail views showing the means for actuating the fuel valves on ops Specification of Letters Patent.

s and especially to engines of the high.

tors in a vehicle carrying said engine.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Serial No. 735,659.

posite sides of the engine; Figs. 6 and '7 are similar views of the said means taken at different points; Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on line SS of Fig. 7 showing the lost-motion device associated with the control shaft; Fig. 9 is a view partially in section and plan showing the starting valve mechanism; Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view or a part of the fuel pump and its actuating mechanism, and Fig. 11 is a plan view of the same.

. Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown an internal combustion engine of the high compression type which may have one, two or more cylinders 15 depending upon the power to he developed. In the present case four cylinders are contemplated. The engine may operate on any desired cycle but the present illustration is directed to a two-cycle engine wherein each cylinder is provided with oppositely moving trunk pistons 16 and 17. These pistons are connected by suitable rods, not illustrated. to the main shaft 18. Each cvlinder is provided with two incased exliaust conduits 19. one on each side, and the ports communicating therewith are controlled by the upper piston. The scavenging ports 20 are C(I-ntl'OllQCl by the lower piston, said ports receiving air under slight comprcssion'from the receiver 21 formed in the base which supports the cylinders.

Each cylinder is provided with two fuel injectors. atoniizers or pulverizers 23 and Q4 of suitable construction but only one may he used if desired. In the following description reference will he made to means for actuating both pulverizers but it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited unless specifically stated in the claim or claims.

On the right hand side of the engine is a cam shaft 25. Fig. 2, carried by suitable bearings supported by the casing 26, the latter being attached to the engine base 22. On one end of the shaft are two cranks 27, Fig. 1. set 180 apart and these are connected by rods :28 and '29 ,to eccentric straps surrounding the eccentrics 30 and 31 mounted on one end of the main shaft. The ob ject of the double eccentrics is to prevent as far as possible the cam shaft from being caught on dead center. On the shaft 25 are as many fuel cams 32, Figs. 5 and 7, as there are cylinders.

As is Well known a fuel injector, atomizer,

or pulverizeris provided with a needle valve and fuel levers. Such a connection is shown"; such as- 33, Fig. 9,which has to be moved in Figs. 7 and 8, the latter showing thej 'i from its-seat each: time it is desired toinparts in the'air starting position. Rigidlyip ject fuel into-the cylinder. To accomplish mounted on the control shaft is afmemb'enfl; this a lever 34, Fig. 5, is provided that is 45 having an internal recess. 45 shown in 10'. made in the form of a bell-crank. One arm dotted lines Fig. 7', to receive the project of the lever projects under the fuel cam ing end of the lever carrying body 46. The and" carries an anti-friction roller for en-' member is also provided, with a projection gagement therewith. Under the outerend 47 that fits into a slot or. recess 47 formed of this arm and tending at all timesto in the body portion 46: This slot extends 75 raise it is a coiled compression spring 35. over a considerably greater are than does The other arm of the crank rises vertically the projection 47 so that the control shaft and is adapted to engage and open the fuel can be turned through a greater number of valve 33, Fig. 9, at the proper time. This degrees tha rf the said valve actuatingleve'rs lever is fulcrumed on an eccentric 36, Fig. Theamount 'bf this-lost-motion will be de arms an anti-friction roller arranged to be fuel pump will be described lateri 5, which eccentric is mounted on the contermined by the angular movement of the trol shaft 37, the latter extending parallel shaft'necessary to'adjust the pump or pumps with the camshaft as best shown in Figs. from no-load to. full-load conditions, and

l to 7, and 10 and 11. This control shaft hence will be governed largely by the char-1p is rocked or turned in one direction or the a'cter of the pump and its regulating mecha ffsis other by the operating handle or lever 38, nism. Imay use one or. twomeniberstfi as de- Fig. 3, through suitable means as will apsired depending upon. the work to} be per?! pear later. Formed integral with the body formed. The principal thin' is to have? of the bell-crank lever 34 or otherwise rigsufiicientlyilarge surfaces so t attheyfwill aifi idly secured thereto is a bell-crank lever not be injured orunduly worn by continued-i 90 parts on the;

39, Figs. 5 and 7, carrying on one of its service. Theactio n ofthese moved into engagement with the air start. When each cylinder is provided with twdf ing cam 40 carried by the cam shaft in. pulverizers or injectors the left hand side of which position it will open the air starting the engine will also be provided 'witha cam -'95 valve at the proper times. I may provide shaft 48 which is driven"v by the;eccentrics one or more of the engine cylinders with and 31 through rods 49- and- 5,0,Fig. 1,:

starting means as is desired. F or some in the same manner as the right hand cam?" classes of service one cylinder. so provided I ,will be suflicient but in other cases a greater J g D0 number will be necessary. In the event first, may be called the secondary control that only one cylinderis so. provided, it shaft. In order to 'avoid=. duplijcation 6f will be necessary to bar the main shaft parts and to insure exact correspondence V around until the piston or pistons of the III the opening and closing of the fuelvalvesfi" to the engin starting cylinder is or are just past the only one controlling handle 'is'provfided and 13105 dead center. The other arm 41 of the belltwo control shaftsar'e mechanically united. crank lever 39 engages and actuates the Figs. 4 and 5 show an arrangement for this. air starting valve 42, Fig. 9, through-lever -purpose: Mountedlonthe end of the primeans 43. Any suitable means for transmary control shaft37 is an arm.j52, which ,rnitting motion from this lever to the startis connected by the rod 53 with the arm 1210 4 -1ng'valve may be employed. As shown in 54 mounted on the secondary controlshaft Figs. 10 and 11 the control shaft 37 is in 51. The arrangement of the connection is position to cause-the fuel pump to deliver such that the shafts 37 and 51 movem opsubstantially its maximum amount of fuel posite directions. v g

' iii-his shaft is arranged to Rigidly mounted on the secondary control be turned cl lQ-wise to increase and antishaft are as many eccentrics -55, Figs. 4and clock-wise to-"clicrease said supply as will 6, as there are engine cyllnders and pulappear later. In such an arrangement the verizers or atomizers. Mounted on each controlshaft 37 must perform three funceccentric is a bell-crank lever 5 6 for opertions, first move the starting valve into and ating a fuel valve which is similar 1n conout of service, second move the fuel valve struction and'operation to that operated into and out of service,and third control the bell-crank lever 34 of Flg. 5. It 1s the supply of fuel. To affordv a wide range moved in one direction by the fuel cam 56 1 of adjustment for the pump the movement. mounted on the secondary cam shaft 4.8 of the control shaft -is preferably greater and in the opposite direction by the comthan is necessary to move the-starting and nression spring 57. v I r V fuel valves into andout of operation. To Referring now to the fuel pump and themeet this requirement it is necessary to controlling mechanism therefor shown in provide some sort of a lost-motion connec- Figs. 2, 3, 10 and 11. On the end of cam tion between said shaft and the starting shaft 25, Fig. 10, is'mounted an eccentric 60 which is surrounded by an eccentric strap having a projection 01 that is pivotally connected to projection on the eccentric strap the latter surrounding an eccentric 6% mounted on the control shaft 37. The eccentric 6% serves as an adjustable pivot or fulcrum for the eccentric strap and projection 62 so that as the cani shaft 25 rotates a rocking or oscillating motion is imparted to the eccentric strap and to the lever arm 65, the latter being connected by a link 66 to the upper end of the pump actuator 67. Thus it Will be seen that the rotary motion of the cam shaft and eccentric 60 is converted into reciprocating motion of the pump actuator and hence of its plungers as will appear more fullv hereinafter. It will be seen that the control shaft 37 and eccentric 64:, form a pump governor or regulator for varying the effective delivery of the fuel pump since by changing the angular position of the control shaft 37 and its eccentric the pump actuator will reciprocate in a difi'erent region, thereby varying the amount or" fuel discharge. The projection 62 and arm 65 constitute in effect a vibratory lever Whose fulcrum can be raised or lowered to change the effective pumping stroke. By placing the parts 62 and 65 on the same side of the control shaft instead of on opposite sides I am able to decrease the size of the apparatus as a Whole and also to locate the control shaft nearer the cylinders than would otherwise be the case.

The pump is of the displacement type and its output is varied by changing the region of vibration of the plunger-s Without, however. varying the length of their strokes. Such a pump is disclosed in the application for United States Letters Patent of Hermann Lemp, Serial No. 676.529. filed February 9, 1912. 1 illustrate this type of pump'bccause it will effectively produce the dcsired aesults but other forms of pump .Ctlll be substituted therefor by making suitable modifications as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

68 indicates the guide for the pump actuator and is ontained in a casing or reservoir 69. Figs. 2- and 10. As shown eccentric 64 is in position to give substantially the maximum discharge of fuel. and turning it anticloclr-vvise from said pos't' 'll decrease the discharge to the i 'u or no load condition. This turni of the eccentric is accomplished by moving the control shaft by the handle 38. Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 2. 37 indicates the con trol shaft and 6? thepump actuator which connected to and reciprocates the crosshead 70. 71 indicates the pump plungers located in cylinders 72, the latter having ports 73 in their sides which are in communication with thefuel in the reservoir 69.

Each plunger is raised to the upper end of its suction stroke by a coiled compression spring T-l and is depressed by the crosshead TO. The length of stroke ot each plunger is the same under all conditions but the region of said stroke is changed. That is to say, the plungers may vibrate so that they extend'tronr a point above the suction ports 73 to the bottom of the cylinders for full load ccaulitions. or they may extend from a point considerably above the suction ports to a point hall \vay dovvn the cylinder in which case only half the amount of fuel will be delivered by the pump. ienerally speakingthe short- 1' the distance below the ports T3 that the plunger extends the smaller will be the quantity of v.fuel delivered. it the base oi each cylinder is a spring seated and outwardly opening check valve 75. (,.'ommunicating with the discl'iarge valve chambers are pipes T; leading to the fuel pulverizcrs. such as '3 and ll of the engine cylinders. (inc pipe may lead to one pulveriZer or to a greater number as desired. In the reservoir W.) a float T7 for maintaining a constant level of fuel herein. It controls a valve TS that admits fuel by the pipe 79 from a suitable supply tank, not shown. The lower end of the tank provided with a drainage conduit (39". One orniore pumps may be employed. as desired. In Fig. l two pumps are shown and mountec on brackets 80. li'hcre two pumps a re employed a separate controlling means will be provided for each pump and the trvo means connected for synchronous operation as for example by the arms 2 and 5-l and l and From the preceding desm-iption it will have been noted that the control shaft delermines the action oi the air starting valve or valves. the fuel valve 0i! valves and the amount of fuel delivered by the pump or pumps by varying the effective stroke thereof. Also it will have been noted that due to the rerpiirements of the situation. certain of the means must l ave a greater mo ement than others. said diil'erence in movement being taken care of by the lost-motion device intcrposrul betveen the control shaft and the tariing and fuel ulvcs. in l igs. 2 and 3 is shown the means for actuating the conlrol shai't to attain the desired results. As before stated 23 indicates a handle or lever for rorli'ing the control shaft. it is arranged to move over a segmental plate 81 that may be notched on its edge to receive a retaining lat-ch if desired. The plate is supported by a projection from the shaft casing 812. EX- tending through the projection is a spindle and mounted on the lower end thereof is a beveled g m which meshcswvith a similar gear 84 mounted on the control shaft- 37. moving the handle to and fro the engine can be started, stopped and regulatedas to the rod Figs. 1,

'. speed. As shown the handle has three principal positions indicated by the dotted lines 85, 86 and 87. Line 85 indicates the neutral position in which case the engine is at rest.

pacitytyA total handle movement of 90 will be found satisfactory. Of this amount 22% will suliice for' the starting operation, and 22% to givev full movement to the injector or pulverizer valves while the governing mechanism of the pumpwill be set poifts- '73.

-to cause it to deliver one-fourth of its total.

From this position to.

amount per stroke. that indicated by line 87 only the pump in an ever increasing pump discharge. From this it follows that the lost motion between the parts 46 and .47 should, in this embodiment of my invention,

and fuel valve; lev rs thereforeto move mechgnism.

Th' fiiode' of has been fully, 'hereinbefore but it may be" briefly restated as follows: Assuming the engine to bestationary'with the pistonsin one cylinder in starting position an the control handle 38 at the neutral position,' :,correspond's with dottedfline 8 5, the .-latter is swung to the right, Fig. 3, which depresses thev fuel valve levers 34.- to pre-' the fuel valves, evers 39 :into po- J moves the starting valve sition to be acted upon by the cams'ojand' raises the cross-head 70'of the pump, Fig.

' becauseqthe (me one of the starting valves 42 will be opened by its starting cam and air or other elastic fluid. under pressure will be'admitted to a cylinder whose pistons are,"

The impulse given to the.

close together.

' pistons in this manner starts the engine and "causes other starting valves to open in proper sequ'encebecause they are actuated j 'by the cam shaft and the latter is positively driven by the main shaft valve levers into operative positiom'asjshow the handle is means'is employed orthe kind of ating the "arious-pa'rts.

be just enough to cause the hand'le to stopimoving the starting at quarter load and my the pump governing pe eo 5f the apparatus 2, so high that the plungers'cannotfpumpr never movebelo'w thejsuction j H dotted line 85 to -"patent statutes, 'oiple-ofoperation of my invention, together .w'ithfthjapparatus which I now considerto "represen't'the best embodiment thereof; but

of the engine. After the engine has acquired suflicient mo "mentum, the handle 38 is moved across the, neutral position thereby moving the fuel this is taking place the turning of the eccentric 64, Fig, 10, has so adjusted the fulcrum or center of movement of the arm 65 that it forces the cross-head to have a region of vibration up and down which is low enough to permit the pump plungers to rise above their suction ports on the up stroke due to the springs-74: and to be positively moved to a point below said ports on the down stroke thereby discharging acorresponding. amount of fuel. handle 38 further to the left increases the fuel discharge of the pumps to a maximum. 7 In the broader aspects of my invention it. is ,imn1aterial what kind of a starting pump'or its regulator or the kind of means for actuto provide a single means, such as a handle for example, which is so organized or con- The 'main thing is.

Moving the structed that it can by proper manipulation perform the various operations hereinbefore describedi My improved apparatus has the very @25 great advantage that the operator cannot erning mechanism will be moved resul g "a particularly important matterwhen the engine is employed to drive vehicles for it permits the operator to give the necessary attention to the path ahead and the signals.

aving a one handle control for the engine enables the operator to' use the other hand to manipulate the electric controlling and. braking mechanism.-

Another advantage is that for light loadconditions the fuel valves are not openedquite so wide as for heavy load conditions, 1 thus preventing the so-called blast air from chilling the contents of the cylinderat the instant of fuel injection. This isdue to the fact that the fulcra of the fuel levers are being gradually changed in position by the control shafts 37 and 51 and eccentrics .36

and 55' as the control handle 38 is moved from the neutral point as represented'by the the next dotted -linei88 on theleft. thereof in Fig. 3.

I have described one form of starting 'means for the engine but it is'evident that other forms of starting means can bev employedand controlled by the mechanism described herein.

, In accordance with the provisions of the I have described the prindesireto' have it understood thatthe apparatus Shown is only illustrative, and that CIR the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination of an internal combustion engine with a starting means, fuel supply means, and a means organized to actuate the starting means and also to vary the amount of fuel delivered by the supply means to the engine so as to regulate it in accordance with the load.

The combination of an internal combustion engine with a starting means therefor, fuel supply means, an actuator, and means responsive to the actuator for putting the starting means into and out of service and for regulating the admission of fuel to the engine so as to vary it in accordance with the load.

3. The combination of an internal combustion engine with a starting means, fuel' supply means. a manually controlled actuatcr, and a means moved by the actuator for regulating the starting means when it is adjusted to'one position and for regu lating the admission of fuel to the engine in accordance with the load after it has been adjusted to a new position and cutting the starting means out of service.

t. The combination of an internal (30111- bustion engine v ith a starting means, a fuel pump. a regulator for the pump, and a means organized to put the starting means into operation and render the fuel pump inactive through its regulator and also to render said starting means inactive and the fuel pump active.

5. The combination of an internal combustion engine with a starting means, a fuel supplymeans. an actuator. a means moved by the actuator to control the starting means, a means moved by the actuator to prevent the admission of fuel to the enginc when the starting means is in service which includes a lost-motion device, and means moved by the actuator for regulating the amount of fuel supplied to the engine.

6. The combination of an internal combustion engine with a starting means, a fuel pump, a regulator therefor, an actuator, means moved by the actuator for putting the starting means into and out of opera-.

tion. and means moved by the actuator for adjusting the regulator of the pump after the starting means has been put out of service.

7.'The combination of an internal combustion engine having a fuel and a starting valve. a cam shaft, levers moved by the shaftfor actuating the alves. :1 fuel pump, a regulator for the pump, with a controlling. means for shifting thc'levers to bring'cither set of valves into service and arranged to actuate the pump regulator to vary the fuel admission whenever the fuel valve levers are in operative relation to the cam shaft.

, 8. The combination of an internal combustion engine having fuel and starting valves, a cam shaft, actuators for the valves that are responsive to movements of the shaft, a fuel pump, a regulator for the pump, a control shaft for shifting the valve actuators into and out of service, and moving the regulator, and means for moving the shaft.

9. The combination of an internal combustion engine having starting means and a fuel valve, actuators for said means'and the valve, a fuel pump, and a cam shaft for actuating said means, fuel valve and pump with means for supporting the actuators, and a device that is common to and'moves said supporting means in a predetermined sequence.

10. The combination of an internal combustion engine having starting means and a fuel valve, actuators for said means and j the valve, a fuel pump, and a cam shaft for actuating said means, fuel valve and pump with eccentrics that act as pivotal supports for the actuators, and a control shaftfor turning the eccentrics.

11. The combination of an internal com: bustion engine having starting means and a fuel valve, actuators for said means and the valve, a fuel pump, and a cam shaft for actuating said means, fuel valve and pump with means for supporting the actuators, a device for adjusting the position of said supporting means, and a lost-motion connection between said device and the fuel valve actuator to permit it to control the action of the fuel pump.

12. The combination of an internal oombustion engine having fuel valves on opposite sides of the cylinder and cam shafts similarly located with means for positively driving said cam shafts, starting means, and controhshafts extending parallel with the cam shafts for moving the fuel valves and starting means into and out of operative position.

13. In combination an internal combustion engine, a starting means therefor, a fuel pump, a valve controlling the admission of fuel to the engine, a regulator for the pump, and a single handle that controls the starting means, fuel valve and action of the pump regulator.

14. The combination of an internal combustion engine, a starting means, fuel admission mcans, a fuel supply means, and a single means for actuating the starting means and varying the amount of fuel delivered by the supply means to the admission means.

15. The combination of an internal combustion engine, a starting means therefor, a

V fuel supply.

- other positions actuated by the other side of the 4 bustion engine,

fuel upply'meaigi; a control device for ac- 'tuatingthe startm g means and controlling *theLyfuel means, and a handle for movin thelde'vice in one di ection to cause it to pu e starting mean' into operation and in the Opposite direction to control the 16.- The'combination of an internal combustion engine, a starting means therefor, a pump for supplying fuel to theengine, a hand lever which has a neutral position and at the sides thereof, means lever when moved to one side of the neutral position for putting the starting means into operation, and means actuated by the lever when 'moved to the neutral position for regulating the amount of fuel discharged by the pump to the engine.

17. The combination of an internal comf a1 startjifng means therefor, a ump or s p ying uel to the en ine, a valve for con lling the admission o f fuel to the engine, a neutral? position and also operative positions on "both s'idesthereof, a means actuated by the handle-when moved to one side a control handle which has of its neutral position for rendering the starting means active and the fuel pump and fuel valve inactive, vand means actuated by the handle when' moved to the other side of its neutral. position fox rendering the fuel pump and fuel valve active and the starting means inactive.

18. The combination of an internal com-' bustion engine, astarting means therefor, a pump for supplying fuel to the engine, a control shaft, a handle for moving the shaft which has a neutral position and operative positions on both sides thereof, and means actuated by the shaft so constructed and ar-' ranged that when the handle is on one side of its neutral positionthe starting means is active and the pump inactive, and when the handle is moved to the other side of its neutral position the starting valve is inactive and the pump active.

-In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of December, 1912.

WALTER W. BROlVN.

Witnesses HERMANN LEMP, DARMAN WEAVER. 

